The Dallas Cowboys opened the first day of the new NFL year by placing the exclusive franchise tag on Dak Prescott, ensuring he is in Dallas for one more year while they continue to figure out a long-term contract with their quarterback.
Elsewhere around the league there were some blockbuster trades, with DeAndre Hopkins going to Arizona for, somehow, a lesser package than the Vikings got later in the evening for Stefon Diggs. In Dallas, they had a big decision to make regarding their star receiver, and got a deal done late Monday night with Amari Cooper to keep him on the Cowboys for five more years at the price of $100 million, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (and $60 million guaranteed, per Josina Anderson).
Amari Cooper intends to re-sign with the Dallas Cowboys on a 5-year, $100 million deal, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 17, 2020
I'm told this deal also has $60M guaranteed for Amari Cooper, per source. https://t.co/lseAGs9Syl
— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) March 17, 2020
The Cowboys signing Cooper long-term was always expected, particularly given the draft pick haul they gave up to get him from the Raiders. However, given their issues getting Ezekiel Elliott signed last year amid a holdout and, thus far, their failure to reach an agreement with Prescott, this wasn’t a given. They found a way to get it done, though, and Cooper now resides among the highest paid receivers in the game. The question now is whether Dallas will get a long-term deal done with the man in charge of throwing him the football.
